I love the album cover. I ran across this album on TH-cam years back and the cover was part of what made me click. I just found it striking and wondered about the woman looking out the window and what she was thinking about. Have you ever seen her again, does she know the album became kinda famous? Sad to hear about Akarma because that's who made the album I ordered on Amazon a few years ago - I thought that $$$ was going to you 🫤
Hi Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. The girl is Frances Hamerton (at the time), daughter of a local vicar. We met whilst doing paper rounds at the local newsagent. We dated for a few months - but we weren't when I took the photo. I was looking out of that bay window one Saturday morning when she walked past with her young sister. As she did so, the idea for that photo for the album sleeve sprang to mind, so I dashed out to ask if she would pose. She agreed and so we arranged to do the shot. Once I had the finished LPs, I gave her one of the colour gatefold sleeve albums. She married in 1976, becoming Frances Allen, and I took her wedding photos. She moved to London and I have never seen her again. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to track her down many times over the years to see if she knows the story, how famous that photo has become - and to let her know how much, if she still has it, that LP is now worth. Yeah - the Akarma fiasco is kinda bittersweet. I believe we still would have got to where we are today, more or less, without Akarma. By the time they did what they did, the album was already becoming very well known. We had accumulated enough capital from licensing the rights for DRTE to be repressed several times, that we were able to afford enough studio time to record our 2nd album, Anonymous Days. But Akarma - and all the other labels that bootlegged our stuff, certainly acted as catalysts - and for that I am grateful. Thanks again - and I'm pleased you have enjoyed the album.
@@ObscureStuff420 Me too. I thought I’d tracked her down last year as she married a doctor. Found a Dr. Allen in Northern Ireland - so sent him an email explaining - but he never replied.
@@ObscureStuff420 Hopefully. Thing is, if she’s ever thought of tracking me, or the album down, and just does a Google search - neither are difficult to find 🤷♂️
Fantastic to see this Steve. I have ordered a Seelie Court reissue this week from my local record store, I think it’s called the “Definitive Version”. The attention to detail is first class and I’m very much looking forward to getting it. We played the album in the record store today and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you.
Thank you. 🙏🏻 I’m still waiting our allocation. The sleeve, although using a facsimile of Clive’s original, is a true gatefold and not as I produced my originals. That would have been even more expensive to make than it actually was - but it does have the group photo on the front, as I originally designed it. It comes in an outer art bag with new artwork especially produced for it by an Australian graphic artist - and an enlarged and extended 20 page book.
Oh heck! I actually liked the Machu Pichu sleeve because of the black borders. Black somehow appeared more proper with an album with Dark in the title.
Hi Steve, great video. Forgive me as you said don't get started on Akarma, however I may need to. What is the deal with this issue? Are they legit? I got mine in 2000 online, knowing no different other than I was getting hold of a reissue of this legend of an album. I have a black vinyl issue.
Thanks George! 🙏🏻 No worries - but sadly yours is probably not legit. They were pressed in ‘98 as a ‘limited’ 1000 run on grey marble. After that, there were many represses up to 2011 (then again in 2021) on several different finishes - all unofficial and usually in runs of less than 500 - yet all the booklets state ‘Limited Editor 1000 copies in marble vinyl’. Having said that, I’ve no problem with those who bought the bootlegs. They would have had no clue that what they bought were not legit, buying it for the music - and, although they’ve continuously done the dirty on us, Akarma undoubtedly played a huge part in spreading the name, so we’ve definitely benefited from that. 😀
Hi Rob. Thanks for that. There continue to be unspecified delays on the one off limited ‘Doodle Sleeve’ DRTE - but all the works have been done and it’s been fully financed, so that should be any time now. I should be getting a test pressing imminently so once I’ve okayed that, the run will be pressed. As regards the 50th Anniversary Stuff - the plants have had all the files, so they should be pressed as soon as the plants can get to them. Work on the artwork will be finished during October so we’re still hoping for release in November. There will be a CD Boxset, but that will include my DRTE remaster. The Abbey Road Remaster will only be as an LP, which will be in 2 formats, I believe, single sleeve & gatefold sleeve. The LPs will only be available separately. A Boxset would be too expensive to retail. That will also give folk the choice of whether to buy the early stuff or not. Some of those recordings are of dubious quality and, of course, the band was much less mature - but the label insists it is of archival importance. And it means a lot to me. 😄
@@steverg1st brilliant Steve. As soon as they are available can you email and let me know. Put me down for 1 of each. Hope your keeping well my friend 🙏
@@Ken_Dodds_Tickling_Stick thanks Rob. I’ll do my best to remember to let you know but, as I’m sure you can imagine, I get that request a lot, so I can’t guarantee I’ll get to everyone - but I’ll definitely make a point of posting on Facebook facebook.com/darkedges and produce videos here when I have important news. I’m coping as best I can with my colitis but have found out today I’m probably going to need an op. If so, I’ll hopefully get a better quality of life back! 🤞🏻 Cheers! 😊
Hi. Not since the Void Records double album (now out of print) but one will be available very shortly with ‘the doodle sleeve’ artwork instead of the usual - but it’s a very limited edition and I think all have been preordered. There is, though, a 50th Anniversary Boxset planned for later this year which will include DRTE remastered at Abbey Road and this will probably be available standalone as well
Is the recent pre order one that copy of the hand drawn sleeve one that you did only one copy of in 72? As that one is through rough trade on pre order for £50 quid?!
@@twitchygiraffe4636 - that is correct. They are saying dispatch for preorders 24 June - but that’s not official so could well be altered. It was also on Juno for about £15 more but I believe they are no longer taking orders either.
I love the album cover. I ran across this album on TH-cam years back and the cover was part of what made me click. I just found it striking and wondered about the woman looking out the window and what she was thinking about. Have you ever seen her again, does she know the album became kinda famous?
Sad to hear about Akarma because that's who made the album I ordered on Amazon a few years ago - I thought that $$$ was going to you 🫤
Hi
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
The girl is Frances Hamerton (at the time), daughter of a local vicar.
We met whilst doing paper rounds at the local newsagent.
We dated for a few months - but we weren't when I took the photo.
I was looking out of that bay window one Saturday morning when she walked past with her young sister.
As she did so, the idea for that photo for the album sleeve sprang to mind, so I dashed out to ask if she would pose.
She agreed and so we arranged to do the shot.
Once I had the finished LPs, I gave her one of the colour gatefold sleeve albums.
She married in 1976, becoming Frances Allen, and I took her wedding photos.
She moved to London and I have never seen her again.
I have tried, unsuccessfully, to track her down many times over the years to see if she knows the story, how famous that photo has become - and to let her know how much, if she still has it, that LP is now worth.
Yeah - the Akarma fiasco is kinda bittersweet.
I believe we still would have got to where we are today, more or less, without Akarma.
By the time they did what they did, the album was already becoming very well known.
We had accumulated enough capital from licensing the rights for DRTE to be repressed several times, that we were able to afford enough studio time to record our 2nd album, Anonymous Days.
But Akarma - and all the other labels that bootlegged our stuff, certainly acted as catalysts - and for that I am grateful.
Thanks again - and I'm pleased you have enjoyed the album.
Thanks for sharing that story! I hope she still has the record.
@@ObscureStuff420
Me too.
I thought I’d tracked her down last year as she married a doctor.
Found a Dr. Allen in Northern Ireland - so sent him an email explaining - but he never replied.
@@steverg1st maybe she will go on TH-cam one day and see it - I bet that would be quite a surprise!
@@ObscureStuff420 Hopefully.
Thing is, if she’s ever thought of tracking me, or the album down, and just does a Google search - neither are difficult to find 🤷♂️
How neat. Thanks for talking us through it!
Fantastic to see this Steve. I have ordered a Seelie Court reissue this week from my local record store, I think it’s called the “Definitive Version”. The attention to detail is first class and I’m very much looking forward to getting it. We played the album in the record store today and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you.
Thank you. 🙏🏻
I’m still waiting our allocation.
The sleeve, although using a facsimile of Clive’s original, is a true gatefold and not as I produced my originals.
That would have been even more expensive to make than it actually was - but it does have the group photo on the front, as I originally designed it.
It comes in an outer art bag with new artwork especially produced for it by an Australian graphic artist - and an enlarged and extended 20 page book.
Oh heck! I actually liked the Machu Pichu sleeve because of the black borders. Black somehow appeared more proper with an album with Dark in the title.
Very interesting and very useful. Thank you Steve!
You’re welcome. Thanks! 😊
Hi Steve, great video.
Forgive me as you said don't get started on Akarma, however I may need to.
What is the deal with this issue? Are they legit? I got mine in 2000 online, knowing no different other than I was getting hold of a reissue of this legend of an album. I have a black vinyl issue.
Thanks George! 🙏🏻
No worries - but sadly yours is probably not legit.
They were pressed in ‘98 as a ‘limited’ 1000 run on grey marble.
After that, there were many represses up to 2011 (then again in 2021) on several different finishes - all unofficial and usually in runs of less than 500 - yet all the booklets state ‘Limited Editor 1000 copies in marble vinyl’.
Having said that, I’ve no problem with those who bought the bootlegs.
They would have had no clue that what they bought were not legit, buying it for the music - and, although they’ve continuously done the dirty on us, Akarma undoubtedly played a huge part in spreading the name, so we’ve definitely benefited from that. 😀
Hi Steve
Great insight into the sleeve design.
When's the new stuff out.....I've trolled the net but found nothing.
Regards
Rob ( Scotland )
Hi Rob.
Thanks for that.
There continue to be unspecified delays on the one off limited ‘Doodle Sleeve’ DRTE - but all the works have been done and it’s been fully financed, so that should be any time now.
I should be getting a test pressing imminently so once I’ve okayed that, the run will be pressed.
As regards the 50th Anniversary Stuff - the plants have had all the files, so they should be pressed as soon as the plants can get to them. Work on the artwork will be finished during October so we’re still hoping for release in November.
There will be a CD Boxset, but that will include my DRTE remaster.
The Abbey Road Remaster will only be as an LP, which will be in 2 formats, I believe, single sleeve & gatefold sleeve.
The LPs will only be available separately.
A Boxset would be too expensive to retail.
That will also give folk the choice of whether to buy the early stuff or not.
Some of those recordings are of dubious quality and, of course, the band was much less mature - but the label insists it is of archival importance.
And it means a lot to me. 😄
@@steverg1st brilliant Steve.
As soon as they are available can you email and let me know. Put me down for 1 of each.
Hope your keeping well my friend 🙏
@@Ken_Dodds_Tickling_Stick thanks Rob.
I’ll do my best to remember to let you know but, as I’m sure you can imagine, I get that request a lot, so I can’t guarantee I’ll get to everyone - but I’ll definitely make a point of posting on Facebook
facebook.com/darkedges
and produce videos here when I have important news.
I’m coping as best I can with my colitis but have found out today I’m probably going to need an op.
If so, I’ll hopefully get a better quality of life back! 🤞🏻
Cheers! 😊
Very interesting, thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Has there been a reissue of dark round the edges on vinyl recently yet Steve??
Hi.
Not since the Void Records double album (now out of print) but one will be available very shortly with ‘the doodle sleeve’ artwork instead of the usual - but it’s a very limited edition and I think all have been preordered.
There is, though, a 50th Anniversary Boxset planned for later this year which will include DRTE remastered at Abbey Road and this will probably be available standalone as well
Is the recent pre order one that copy of the hand drawn sleeve one that you did only one copy of in 72? As that one is through rough trade on pre order for £50 quid?!
@@twitchygiraffe4636 - that is correct.
They are saying dispatch for preorders 24 June - but that’s not official so could well be altered.
It was also on Juno for about £15 more but I believe they are no longer taking orders either.
So you couldn't write round the edges, right ?😋
Ooooh NO!
Sacrilege!! 🤣